how likely it is we will go over the fiscal cliff. i'm curious what the mood is like in washington, d.c. right now? >> there's an infinitesimal improvement in washington because of the meeting today, but i still would say the odds, the people placing bets in this town still expect that the nation will go over the fiscal cliff. still a little more hope than when we woke up this morning, but no one is counting on being off on new year's eve. >> jessica, thanks. more now on the raw politics with "new york times" columnist raffle, and cornell belcher. the president said he wanted to see a straight up or down vote. as we mentioned, that will happen on monday in the senate. he could lose that up or down vote. >> what you're likely to see is something come out of the senate. you have to pay attention, especially on the senate side, to tone. what minority leader mcconnell was saying today, the tone was right. i think you'll see something coming out of the senate on an up or down vote which they'll have to have happen, but i think the problem